36 states reporting declining unemployment, and more from South Africa

Supposedly more and more states are reporting declining in unemployment (yay!) but CNN had some troubling stats to go along with these findings. According to CNN and The Department of Labor, the unemployment gap between whites and blacks is becoming wider and wider, which is making many debate as to the reasons for this. As of now, Black Americans have the highest rates of unemployment. Educated Black Americans also have the highest rates of unemployment among those who have obtained higher education.

In a different part of the world, the gap in unemployment seems to be following racial lines as well:

According to the New York Times:

“Although South Africa is the continent’s wealthiest country, income inequality remains among the worst in the world. About 29 percent of blacks are unemployed, compared with 5 percent of whites. When statistics include discouraged workers, or dropouts from the labor force, the jobless rate climbs to nearly 50 percent. Most of the unemployed have never held a single job, according to a study by a panel of international economists.”

What, me worry?

Tatenda G. talks some more about what is really going on down in South Africa:

The strengthening of the rand against the dollar is creating a new dip in the unemployment situation of this country. Though the US dollar has been stronger recently, the weakening of the US dollar directly affects our manufacturing and production sectors, and has since the beginning of 2009. It is speculated that if the dollar does not get stronger, two million jobs are going to be lost due to the for casted cutting down in production (this is because the US is not importing or exporting goods with SA anymore). Two more million people on the streets, two million more job hunters, two million people without a paycheck. The situation is getting more and more tense everyday.

Even the police have been reporting about an increase in basic commodity theft from grocery stores. Most people are finding it hard to cope with the situation so they have resorted to crime. A lot of people now have a low self-esteem and have given up hope on getting jobs. The public shelters are overflowing with people that can not afford to pay rent. I even know of some people that are buying TB contaminated *sputum so that they be be diagnosed with the disease and be put on the government disability fund just to get a little bit of cash and get along with the requirements of their everyday lives.

This situation has also led to a decline in the services rendered by local governments. Just recently Durban commuters were stranded after the local bus service provider pulled from the roads because they could not offer the service anymore and a lot people lost their jobs due to that situation. Also in Cape Town, a lot of train commuters were left without a plan after the Metrorail workers went on strike requesting wage increases. Most people did not work due to the lack of transportation further plunging the production and the revenue into turmoil .

Unless a logical and effective step is taken, and we all try to figure a way of empowering ourselves and becoming our own bosses…this situation will never change…

This is disgusting, but sputum is “matter that is expectorated from the respiratory tract, such as mucus or phlegm”